


I Jus' Don't Like Bullies

by MonarchAida



Series: I'm With You 'TIll The End of the Snack Line [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Child Abuse, Elementry to Middle School, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 19:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4150794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonarchAida/pseuds/MonarchAida
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve wasn't always picking fights. He also wasn't always friends with James Barnes. Obviously, both things change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Jus' Don't Like Bullies

**Author's Note:**

> I decided I needed a fic where Bucky wasn't always friends with Steve, because Bucky was a bully. Then Steve came along to whip him into shape. So this happened.

Steve Rogers has had up to _here_ with James Barnes. The two were schoolmates, both in grade one. Hung around in different crowds, and rarely talked to one another. Then James began picking on a girl in their class.

At first, Steve didn't want to intervene. With him being prone to breaking easily and being smaller. Then he had a chat with his mom.

"You know, Steven, a bystander does as much harm as a bully," she told her son, using her chiding tone.

_Steve frowned at that. He didn't really like bullies, but has always been too weak to stand up to them._

_Sarah scoffed. "Sometimes it takes words, not fists, to do real damage."_

_Steve prayed that night for the girl, asking God to send her an angel to help her._

It turned out, Steve was the angel.

"Will you cut it out Barnes!" Steve shouted as James and his crew were picking on Carol during recess.

James turned and looked at Steve with an amused look. "Are you talking to me?"

Steve, who was sitting a few steps away, now stood up and walked over to James. He did his best to size the boy up. "Yeah. Bullies are bad, and you're makin’ her cry. So stop "

James ended up pushing Steve down into the sand. Steve got back up. James frowned and pushed him again. Steve looked even more determined and stood right back up. This time when Bucky pushed, Steve pushed back so neither of them fell.

"You know what, punk--" James was cut off by the sound of a whistle. Recess was over and it was time for class.

Steve kept his small glare on James who scoffed and stomped off. Then with a friendly look, he turned around to help Carol up.

"Thanks," she mumbled, a few tears still in her eyes.

Steve gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry for not doing anything sooner. That was wrong of me and I won't let it happen again."

Carol found herself smiling too. She wiped her eyes. "It's Steve right?"

Steve nodded. "And you're Carol?"

Carol nodded, and the two blondes went back inside for class.

It became a common theme for James to start picking on Carol, and then Steve would intervene. James would try to push Steve around but Steve would get up and hold his ground.

Then a month, a whole _month_ , of fighting against James led to something new. Steve was walking around Brooklyn on a Sunday morning (His mom was out at work and he liked to sneak out during these times), on those rare occurrences where he felt well enough to be outside longer than an hour. As he passed an alleyway, he heard someone yelling and some fighting.

Since Steve began this whole hero thing, he carefully walked down to see...

"C'mon, just two bucks is all we need, Barnes," an older boy from school, a second grader by the looks of it whined.

Another second grader has James pinned against the wall. Steve frowned. A part of him thought this was fair, for all James did to Carol.

"I don't have two bucks," James tried to escape the older boy's grasp but it was pointless. "Just leave me alone!"

Then again, a bully is a bully no matter what. So Steve decided to something... Well stupid. As soon as the older boy, who was pinning James, pulled an arm back Steve spoke out.

"Hey stupid!"

The boy turned around, only to meet a fist. Now, Steve was weak. Sickeningly and pathetically so. He was also small and frail. He couldn't run, and could barely handle himself walking for too long. So yes, Steve made the mistake of trying to physically fight. But it worked. The boys instantly let go of James and instead the punch landed on Steve's face. Yeah, that was gonna bruise. Badly. Ma is gonna be mad.

Steve was knocked down, and could feel his lungs collapsing already. So of course he got back up. Fists up and that determined look in his eyes. The boys look unimpressed. They pushed Steve back down before deciding they weren't worth their time.

Steve sat up, and tried to breathe again. James just stared at him.

"Why did you do that?" He finally asked, kneeling down to look at Steve's bruise.

Steve shrugged. "Not stoppin’... Stoppin’ a bully makes you just," he wheezed for a moment. "As bad as one," he responded.

James stared with a frown. "You don't look okay... I... Is your home nearby?"

Steve shook his head, taking a pointless breath

"Okay... My house is. I'm gonna, take you there? M'kay? So we can get you ice and stuff," he told him as he stood up, easily helping Steve off the ground.

Steve just nodded. Leaning onto James for support. It was a silent trek, sans Steve's wheezing, back to James's apartment. Which was thankfully on the ground floor.

"Hey Ma!" James shouted as he got Steve into the house.

A woman, maybe around Steve's own mother age, came out, with a baby on her hip. "Yeah, Ja--? Oh my God, what happened?"

James led Steve to a couch and he sat down. He managed to get his breathing slightly back to normal. Now all he had was a throbbing pain on his cheek and a few scrapes on his hand. Maybe a lost tooth, but it was already loose so it didn't matter.

"He... Uh," James stood awkwardly as he was handed the baby girl, and his mother kneeled down to look over Steve.

Steve gave a small smile. "I was walking by him, and tripped. I landed on a rounded table edge and, well, your son was kind enough to help me out. You should be proud."

James's mom looked at Steve with a frown. Then back at James, who was staring at the blond with an awed expression.

"You can tell the truth, sweetie. I know how my son is," she said, as James looked down.

Steve, despite the pain in his cheek and mouth (which was definitely bleeding), smiled still. "I'm telling the truth, ma'am."

"James, can you go but Rebecca in her crib, and get me an ice pack?" She asked, turning her head to face her son and James gave a nod and stepped out of the room.

She looked back at Steve with a similar (but not as powerful) look his own mom would give him. Steve sighed in resignation.

"He was being cornered in an alley, and I was told that a bystander is just as bad as bully. So I had to help him, you know?" Steve admitted, wiping his mouth when he felt a small trickle of blood.

James's mom smiled at him. "You're Steve, aren't you?"

Steve nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"So even though my son has been picking on you, you still helped him? How come?" She asked, slightly bewildered at Steve's goodness.

Steve thought for a moment. "Easy Miss Barnes. I don't like bullies. I don't care who or where they come from."

James's mom was quiet for a mom, staring in slight shock. Then there was a cough and James handed over the ice pack.

"Thank you," Steve said as he took the ice pack and rested it on his cheek.

Miss Barnes smiled a bit. "Steve, does your mother know you're here?"

Steve's smiled faded. "Uh, no ma'am. She's at work."

"Does she know you're out and about?"

"No ma'am."

Miss Barnes sighed. She ruffled Steve's hair and stood up. "I won't tell," she promised. "Now James, is going to look after you and take you home. Right James?"

"Yes Ma," James answered with no hesitation.

Steve took off the ice pack and James's mom shook her head. "We have plenty, you keep it."

"Thank you, Miss Barnes."

"Mrs. Barnes," she corrected

Steve gave a short nod. "Thank you, Mrs. Barnes."

James smiled a little, as helped Steve up. Then him and Steve set out back to Steve's place. Once again, the walk was quiet. Both parties in silent thought.

At his apartment (Which was on the third floor, but Steve made the journey), Steve took the key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

“Do you wanna come in?” Steve asked.

James shrugged, and Steve rolled his eyes. “Come on,” the blond urged and James complied.

Steve’s place wasn’t as nice as James’s. Steve’s was more cramped. It was clean, but the place was cramped and small. It smelt _heavily_ of cigars and alcohol. Even a bit of sick and something else that was funny smelling.

“Nice place,” James commented with a small frown.

Steve shrugged. “I know,” he commented.

“Is it your mom or dad who...” James shook his head, realising his was overstepping.

“Dad,” Steve answered, slightly stiff.

James didn’t say anymore and just looked around. Taking a note of the pile of bills. Steve tried not to shift. They were mostly hospitals bills. Instead he decided to try an aversion tactic.

“Want a popsicle?”

James turned around with a confused stare. Steve just waited for an answered. James relented and nodded. The shorter kid smiled and went to kitchen, grabbed two creamsicles and came back out.

“Here ‘ya go,” Steve gave the orange cold treat to James.

James took and the two moved to sit on the couch. Silence elapsed the two of them again. Then the brunet cleared his throat.

“James Barnes.”

Steve looked over with a frown. “I know your name.”

James shrugged, and looked to Steve. “We never properly introduced ourselves, though.”

The blond blinked. “Steve Rogers.”

“...Does this makes us friends?”

Steve shrugged. “I don’t befriend bullies. Will you stop picking on Carol?”

James took a bite of his creamsicle, before sighing. “Yeah,” he hesitated for a second. “I wasn’t even picking on her for her. I mean, I was the first few times, but then it got boring...”

“Then why did you keep doin’ it?”

“Because I figure you wouldn’t talk to me any other way,” James admitted, looking away with a tiny blush.

Steve looked surprised. “Oh... I would've, you know. If you weren’t being such a jerk.”

James just shrugged. “Yeah... But you’re a little punk, you know? Trying to take on John like that. You can barely stand up against me! I don’t even push that hard,” James paused and looked over to Steve. “Do I?”

Steve shook his head. “No, you don’t. I just have a weak body. But Ma says a strong heart is much more important.”

The taller boy looked at Steve before laughing, and slinging an arm over his shoulder. “You’re one interesting kid, Stevie,” he teased.

Steve rolled his eyes. “I’m older than you.”

“No way.”

“July fourth, 1920.”

James looked a bit impressed as he took a bite of his popsicle. “Darn it.”

Steve laughed, as James retracted his arm. The two ate their popsicles with light conversation.

“So Stevie--”

“Wait,” Steve interrupted. It’s been two hours since they finished their popsicles, and now they were hanging around and just talking. “If you keep calling me Stevie, I get a nickname for you.”

James made a face. “What? No way!”

“Yes way!” Steve laughed. “It’s only fair! What’s your middle name?”

James hesitated, with narrowed eyes. “Buchanan.”

Steve thought for a moment. “Bucky!”

“Bucky?”

“What? It matches with Stevie,” Steve argued.

James sighed as Steve grinned. Another forty minutes passed, and the two were in the middle of a laughing fit as Steve’s door open. Steve grinned as he looked to door, and was thankful it was his mother.

“Good evening, Ma!” Steve greeted, running a bit awkwardly to hug his mom.

Sarah hugged back, pressing a kiss on top of his head. “Evening, Steven. Who’s this?”

Bucky stood up. “James Barnes, Miss Rogers,” he greeted with an extended hand.

Sarah raised an eyebrow and Steve who nodded. “It’s okay. We’re friends now.”

“I told you words worked better,” she teased as she shook James’s hand and turned back to Steve. Then she frowned. “Oh my-- Steve what did you do this time?”

Steve took a second before realising what she meant. “Oh, uh,” he gave an awkward laugh. “Bucky was cornered in an alley, and uh... It kinda got physical? But Mrs. Barnes took care of me, so it’s all good! I promise!”

Sarah sighed. “You need to stop doing that, Steven,” she chided.

“Wait,” Bucky interrupted. “You’ve done that before?”

“Oh don’t even get me started on this boy,” Sarah began.

“Maaa,” Steve whined but Sarah kept going.

“This boy once trekked through pouring raining, to bring home a kitten. He got an awful cold, and since he had to pry the cat from three older boys, he was bruised and had a twisted ankle,” despite her tone, Sarah had a proud smile. “That was _kindergarten_.”

James raised his eyebrows. “I thought you didn’t like violence?”

“I don’t. I just took the beating. Still didn’t back down, though,” Steve added because that was important. At least to him.

That was how the evening progressed. Bucky stayed for supper (As it was nearing five), and the three were talking. Having a few laughs and it was an enjoyable evening. Then the front door opened, followed by angry and incoherent muttering.

Steve and Sarah both tensed, and Bucky frowned at their reaction.

“Sarah!” a man shouted, and came into the kitchen. He looked angry, and was stumbling slightly. He frowned when he saw Bucky. Steve stood up before the man could even speak a word.

“Come on, Buck,” Steve said quickly and walked straight past his dad, without even a glance. Bucky did the same. Steve led the two outside in front of their apartment.

“Can you make it home before dark?” Steve asked.

James looked at the door behind him, as if the man was going to bust out at any moment. “Was that you dad?”

Steve kept his eyes on Bucky. “You should probably hurry.”

After a few seconds, Bucky finally looked at Steve. “You should come over tomorrow. We can go hang out at the park or something. Get a soda or something.”

“Yeah? Tomorrow. After school?”

“After school,” Bucky agreed and nodded. “Night, Stevie.”

“Night, Bucky.”

**Author's Note:**

> Once I finished this I decided I need other things. So it's series time. Starting from first grade, and going all the way to Middle School (I'll probably skip over some grads, but yeah, this will be thing).


End file.
